Kent
Photos: Kent honors the cultural heritage of the South End
A new sign marks the district as the ‘first in diversity’ because it has been historically home to Black and European immigrant residents.
Nearly a dozen Kent residents and Mayor Jerry Fiala gathered in front of Plum Creek Park on Friday to commemorate the marking of Kent’s South End as a historic district. The area, once settled by abolitionist John Brown, quickly became known as a tight knit neighborhood of diverse cultures as many immigrant and African-American families settled in the area.
“This has been 150 years in the making,” said Doria Daniels, a South End resident and President of the South End Neighborhood Committee. “This is heritage that we’ve wanted known for 150 years.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Flora Mae Peoples.
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Carter Eugene Adams is a freelance documentary photographer and multimedia journalist based in Ravenna, Ohio. He is a former multimedia contributor for The Portager.